My Hero Academia Season 2 Episode 9 (Review)

By: AlanV

Mithical Rating

Animation

Plot

Characters

After a bit of a lull in last week’s episode, My Hero Academia gets down to brass tacks. It’s time to see how Ochako fairs against an opponent as powerful as Bakugo, and the fight delivers in spades. In the last episode Deku tried to offer some advice to Ochako, but she declined because she wanted this to be something she did on her own. Her mindset is what plays out the most during the battle.

As expected, she was going to need a good plan to effectively take on Bakugo. She’s able to successfully carry it out, but it still isn’t enough to defeat him. However, it’s made obvious that Ochako is far stronger than most of the other characters think she is, pushing Bakugo harder than it might appear.

To fully hammer the point of Ochako’s strengths not being recognized, there is a scene where Bakugo rails him for supposedly giving her the plan she carries out. When Deku reveals that he didn’t help her, Bakugo is taken aback by that revelation. Even though he did show her some respect during their bout he was still underestimating her.

Ultimately what shines through is her determination to continue to fight, even as she is laying down on the ground. Her drive comes from her desire to help her family financially. There is a touching moment after the fight where she gets a phone call from her dad, and he lets her know that everything is OK despite her disappointment. It’s clear that her upbringing and her relationship with her parents had a big influence on her personality. It’s also evident that it’s being juxtaposed to the relationship between Todoroki and his family.

The majority of this episode focused on Ochako, her fortitude and the what pushes her to be the best hero she can be. It’s a great episode for a great character. She proved that she is without a doubt Best Girl; FIGHT ME.